A Very Long Engagement
by black-winged Fury
Summary: Seto Kaiba gained everything he has all because of a simple, single lie. On his 21st birthday, that lie came to an end. Now he has to turn that lie into the truth. How? Simple: actually get engaged. With whom? Well, that's not so simple. Prideshipping
1. a white lie turned nasty

**A Very Long Engagement**

**By black-winged Fury**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything that concerns Yugioh except this fic's plot.

**Warning:** Just the dirty mouths of the characters, specifically a certain brunette multimillionaire and a crimson-eyed teenager.

**Fury: **Well, howdy everyone! Here's a second prideshipping fic made by yours truly. Hope everyone will enjoy it.

Oh, and to those who are reading my other story, "Love All Over Again," I am very sorry for the long delay with the fourth chapter. As usual, school was being all evil and hell on us, especially during the last two months, but with the exams out of the way, I'll be able to concentrate more on my stories. While I'm sprucing up that chapter though, I hope you'll spend time reading this first.

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**Chapter 1: A White Lie Turned Nasty**

In his bedroom, Seto Kaiba was peacefully sleeping. His lean form was snugly tucked in his blue, silken covers, his chestnut brown hair disarray while resting on a pure white pillow. His chest rose and fell evenly under the sheets, soft bangs following the same movement as they were caught by his breath. His face was calm and relaxed, quite the opposite when he's awake.

To anyone who was familiar with the young man, the state that he was in could not be any more unbelievable. Seto Kaiba was the kind that never wanted to show weakness, and sleeping was considered as a sign of vulnerability. In fact, Kaiba usually never sleeps, using his work and caffeine to keep himself from drowsing off.

But for this moment, he lets himself sleep properly, even just this once. He decided that it wouldn't hurt his pride too much if he slept for more than three hours. After all, today was _his_ day.

As the first few rays of the sun peeped in through the curtained windows, the door to his room swung open. Kaiba immediately woke up, the graveness of his face and the coldness of his blue eyes back as if he never slept at all. He sat up before falling back on his bed again as the mass that was his brother practically jumped and crashed on him.

"Happy Birthday Seto!" Mokuba yelled, almost deafening his brother. "Happy, happy birthday!! I'm so excited! It's nii-sama's birthday!"

"Mokuba…" Seto said, his voice muffled under the other's body.

"What is it?" Mokuba asked, the enthusiasm in his voice still there.

"Please let go off me. I can't breathe."

But Mokuba just did the opposite and hugged him even harder. "That's why I love you so much! You're so funny! You should always be funny, Seto! I still can't believe it's already your birthday! It's your birthday! It's Seto's birthday today! I'm so happy!"

"I'm not trying to be funny… I _really_ can't breathe…"

At Kaiba's emphasis on the word, Mokuba grudgingly obeyed. He stayed at his side though, watching his brother rub his neck where he had hugged him.

"I still am happy that's it's your birthday Seto," Mokuba mentioned for the umpteenth time under an hour, his excitement about the matter barely wavering.

Kaiba was still massaging his sore neck. "I can see that. You're even happier about it than I am."

Mokuba's grin turned into a small frown. "How come? Everyone should be happy for their birthday."

"I am happy, just not overly wound up about it like you. Must be because of your higher sugar intake even at so early in the morning," Kaiba chuckled.

"What can you expect? I'm still a growing kid," Mokuba shrugged. "I'll need the energy."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. How many times has he heard his brother use that excuse? "Right. Now, how about some breakfast?"

Mokuba nodded. "I'll go and tell the cook to prepare something for us." And with that, he left the room.

Staring at the closed door for a few seconds, Kaiba stood up and headed towards one of the windows. Pulling aside the curtain, the view of the gardens opened up to him. For a time so late in the year, the greenery was still vibrant, though a few trees were starting to lose their leaves.

Closing his eyes, he heaved a sigh. Today marked his twenty-first birthday, as Mokuba so energetically reminded him, and it was starting to fill him with unease. As today was a reminder of his beginning, it could also very well start his end. No, no one was after his life, but it could be an end nonetheless. An end to his career, an end to the life he got so accustomed to, an end to the future he worked so hard for Mokuba.

The memory of two years ago surfaced into his mind, making him feel worse of what he condemned himself into right now.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"_You said you wanted to talk to me about something?" Kaiba asked._

_The man in question nodded his head. "I did, Mr. Kaiba. As you may very well remember a few years ago, you seized control of this company from your adoptive father, Gozaburo Kaiba, whether it was against his will or not. Either way, you have given Kaiba Corp. a better reputation than it ever had when it was still in Gozaburo's hands – "_

"_I thought you're here for something important, just like what you told my secretary," Kaiba interrupted, clearly pissed with the man cutting corners. "If this is what you only wanted to say to me, then I suggest you start leaving my office. I do not need reminding of such insignificant events."_

_The man again nodded. "Very well. To make the long story short, Mr. Kaiba, your father instructed me before he departed to let the company stay in your possession, lest anything may happen to him. However, he also told me that when the time came when you graduated and has yet to settle down, you will be stripped from your powers over this company and your position will be given to the next highest shareholder."_

_Kaiba stood up, towering over the expressionless man seated across his desk and glaring at him with such rage and disbelief that the man could have melted right there and then. "What the hell do you mean by 'stripped from my powers'? Did that bastard actually think he can do that to me?"_

"_Those were your father's very words." The man stated simply. _

"_I don't believe this." _

"_These papers might be able to convince you then." the man said, handing some papers to him. Kaiba snatched them from his hands before reading them quickly, his eyes narrowing slowly into dangerous slits as he read. _

"_The bastard…" Kaiba growled under his breath, barely containing himself. He slammed the papers on his desk before slumping back on his chair. The man, still unnerved, took the papers and stored them away, letting Kaiba comprehend his current dilemma in silence._

_His father knew that he'll take over someday, that's why he made up this stupid contract. The elder Kaiba also knew how introverted his adopted son was, which was why he was so sure that Kaiba would never find someone to settle down with, much less raise a family. Gozaburo knew him too well…_

_Or did he?_

_Kaiba sat up straight. "Gozaburo told you that I will lose control over Kaiba Corp. if I haven't found someone to settle down with by the time I finish school, am I right?"_

"_Precisely."_

"_Then I'm sorry to burst his bubble, but I will be keeping my position here in this company." Kaiba smirked._

_Finally he got some reaction from the man's face as his eyebrows rose with surprise. "Oh? So you mean to say that you have plans of marrying someone?"_

_Kaiba leaned his arms on his desk. "Yes, of course. What did you take me for?"_

_The man paused for a moment, contemplating, before nodding in agreement. "I bid you congratulations then, Mr. Kaiba. Do you have a date for the wedding in mind?"_

_It was Kaiba's turn to pause, racking his brains for a good answer. "In two years."_

"_Excellent. Well, I'll be contacting you by then, Mr. Kaiba. Maybe even help you out with the preparations," the man then stood up, Kaiba following suit. "Now that this problem's fixed, I must bid farewell."_

_Kaiba took the hand offered and shook it. "Pleasure talking to you, Mr. Hiroshima."_

_The man nodded, and then walked towards the door. Before exiting though, he turned back to Kaiba. "In two years, Mr. Kaiba. In two years."_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

'_In two years.'_ He remembered saying those words exactly two years ago. Now his time has run out.

With another sigh, Kaiba opened his eyes. He turned away from the window and went down for breakfast, a single thought in his mind.

All lies really _do_ come to an end.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When Seto Kaiba thought of breakfast, a simple cup of coffee came into mind. If he had the time and appetite, it was a piece or two of buttered toast. The most would be a plate of bacon and eggs.

But never this.

Laid out in front of him was a feast of all kinds of breakfast foods that could make even the hungriest man nauseous. Add the fact that most were overflowing with sugar, maple syrup, and other sweeteners. Trust Mokuba to come up with this.

"Er, Mokuba, don't you think this is too… much?" Kaiba asked, eyeing the intimidating stacks of blueberry, strawberry, and chocolate chip pancakes in front of him, all oozing with syrup and whipped cream.

"Don't be silly, Seto. This is just enough for the both of us. Besides, you rarely eat, so might as well indulge yourself today." Mokuba answered, who was busy with a large bowl of frosted cereals himself.

Seeing his brother looking at him curiously, Mokuba took a spoon of his cereals and offered it to him. "Want some?"

Kaiba looked at the spoon in a strange way, before shaking his head. "I'm perfectly contented with my coffee. Thank you anyway, Mokuba."

"Suit yourself then," Mokuba shrugged, eating the offered food himself.

Kaiba just took a sip from his cup when a maid came into the dining room, the cordless phone in hand. "A call for you, sir."

Kaiba nodded, taking the phone from her. "Hello?" he greeted.

Mokuba couldn't hear what the person in the other end was saying, but from the expression on his brother's face, the conversation was definitely not good. They may have been very slight, but Mokuba could see the changes in Seto's face as he talked on the phone. The way his face paled ever so slightly, how his hard eyes faltered a tiny fraction with fear and anxiety, only a brother could have noticed. And it worried him.

When the call ended and Kaiba gave back the phone, the maid bowing and leaving the room, he took a longer drink from his coffee as if to settle his nerves.

"Who was on the phone?" Mokuba asked with concern.

"No one… It wasn't important." Kaiba answered flatly.

"I know something's wrong, Seto, I can see it in your face. Tell me what's wrong."

Kaiba stared at his brother's eyes for a long time before sighing. "Fine. If you really want to know then I'll tell you, but finish off your breakfast first."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"So now you have to find someone and get married? Just like that?" Mokuba concluded after hearing his brother's explanation. Apparently he didn't like it at all.

"You have to understand, Mokuba. I _had_ to lie. If I didn't, we would be living in a far smaller house right now."

Mokuba sighed. "Of course I understand, I'm your brother after all. My only question is: have you found someone to marry yet?"

Kaiba shook his head. "That's the problem. Ever since that day two years ago, I've been trying to find the right person, but no one is up to even a quarter of my standards. Everyone just seemed so… unqualified."

"Well, I'm not letting my brother marry off some complete stranger." Mokuba declared. He then started to think deeply. "Who could be someone fitting enough to be a Kaiba?"

"No one I could think of so far," Kaiba snorted. That earned him a slap on the arm by Mokuba. "Ow, what did you do that for?"

"Don't be so negative, it's your future we're trying to decide here. Besides, I'm still picking who could be my future in-law, so don't complain yet."

"Why are you the one picking? I'm the one getting married here." Kaiba muttered.

But Mokuba didn't seem to hear him as his eyes suddenly brightened and he slapped his fist on his open palm. "I have an idea on who can help us. Just leave it to me."

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**Fury: **Interested? Bored? Skipped half of it and just opted to read this a/n for some reason? Whatever it is, I would love to hear your comments, especially constructive ones.

Now for some spoilers: There would be more action on the next chapter as Kaiba would meet a certain tri-colored guy for the first time. Would it be a good occasion or a disastrous one? We'll also figure out who Mokuba is referring to that can help them with Kaiba's problem. But why is Kaiba not too happy about it?


	2. The Sidewalk Sprinter

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh

Warning: Foul language (I didn't have time to scrub their mouths clean – and they're funnier this way)

**Fury:** To compensate for the lack of anything in the last chapter, I made this a little longer with an added bonus of the first Seto-Yami moment. And by moment I mean bickering like an old married couple (hence the warning above). Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 2: Strike One – The Sidewalk Sprinter **

"Oh crap…" Yami muttered under his breath as he raced around in his room, trying to find clean clothes amongst the ones strewn across the floor. Why oh why did he have to oversleep today of all days, just when he got a new job after being unemployed for so long?

Flinging clothes behind his head into the air, he finally found a decent enough black shirt which he hastily put on. Finding jeans and a pair of sneakers in a nearby pile, Yami ran out of his room, almost tripping on his improperly-tied shoelaces.

Reaching the kitchen to look for something to eat on the go, he found it to be unoccupied. He usually found his brother Yugi either eating breakfast or chatting with their roommate, Jounouchi. In their places, however, he saw a plate with a single piece of toast on top of the kitchen counter. Was he really that late? He didn't know for sure, seeing as he was too much in a hurry to look at a clock for the time.

Grabbing the piece of toast, Yami noticed a folded sheet of paper under the plate. "What's this?" he asked no one in particular as he opened it. It was a note from his brother.

_Yami,_

_Sorry for leaving without letting you know. We didn't want to get in trouble with the new substitute teacher, seeing as he had a temper that can rival the shortness of an incensed bull's (you should have seen the steam coming from his ears when a classmate of ours came late yesterday. Poor guy)._

_We left you food in the counter (which you might have already noticed if you're reading this), though I wasn't able to save you much, since Jou's boundless stomach attacked the table. Again._

_See you later this afternoon,_

_Yugi and Jou_

_P.S._

_We _did_ try to wake you up; you just chose to keep dead to the world. – Jou _

_P.P.S._

_Since I have a feeling that you haven't yet looked at a clock at all, I'm telling you that by the time you finish reading this note, it'll already be 6:45, giving you only fifteen minutes to get to work. Good luck, bro. – Yugi _

The paper drifted leisurely back onto the counter just beside the now empty plate, its reader presently having rushed out of the apartment door in a blur.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Jou, what do you think Yami's doing now?" Yugi asked his friend worriedly. They were sitting under a tree in the grounds of Domino University. The bell hasn't rung yet so the two decided to lounge in the outdoors like the rest of the school population.

Jou, who had been napping on the grass all the while, opened his eyes and looked up at his companion. "Want to know what I think? I think that, after he read the note you left him in the kitchen, he's now running down the streets like some 100-yard dash sprinter with a wild brown bear after him, and everyone will think that he'd gone loco or something. And oh yeah, he'll probably knock into someone, most probably an important person, and spill his coffee or drop his suitcase or - "

"Er, I think I already get what you think." Yugi hastily interrupted. And they say Jou was the least sharp of his friends. That was definitely more opinion than he expected to get from him. Besides, whatever Jounouchi had said a while ago was absurd, completely exaggerated. Yugi was at least sure of that.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The streets near the business district of the city were overwhelming with the amount of people they had even in the early hours of the morning. With the asphalt streets congested with heavy traffic and the sidewalks bustling with workers briskly walking towards their respective destinations without much of a care with their surroundings, it was an every weekday sight to see. And as with every regular routine, there was bound to be some sort of distraction once in a while.

Seemingly concentrated in their businesses of walking, most of them didn't notice Yami practically sprinting against the sea of monotonously clad businesspeople. Those who did, however, had to do a double take at the blurred figure and exchange curious glances with their companions, because it really was an odd occurrence to sight in that time and place.

Yami, meanwhile, didn't have time to stop and give a cynical remark to the onlookers like he usually did as he was too engulfed in his panicked state. The place where he was accepted to work for was still a block away and already his side was stitching in pain from all that running.

"Must run… Can't stop…" Yami panted in a mantra-like way over and over again. His legs were screaming and his lungs felt like they were burning with the lack of oxygen. He felt his energy depleting rapidly and he was beginning to wonder if he would still make it in time.

With a final burst of energy, he literally raced against time as he sped up even more down the street. He was almost there, the shop's sign barely visible over all the heads. A good thing, too, as he felt his legs start giving way.

"I'm going to make it…" he breathed, the shop's threshold merely feet away. Despite his soreness, he couldn't help the grin that was on his face from stopping. If he could just reach the door in time, maybe he wouldn't be late for his first day in his job after all.

But of course, 'if' and 'maybe' are such indecisive words, and anything can happen otherwise. Unfortunately for Yami, otherwise was what happened.

It was all too sudden that he can't exactly recall what caused him to be sitting on his butt on the concrete sidewalk. Right now, he was only sure of the fact that his ass was throbbing quite painfully. Wincing in pain, Yami tried to stand up but was stopped when a voice caught his attention.

"Is it hard to watch where you're going, punk?" The brunette he seemed to have bumped into said.

"Wh-What?"

"Oh, so you're not only blind but deaf as well? Go get checked by the doctor." The other man scoffed, standing up.

Yami stood up as well, the pain in his backside instantly dulling because of his annoyance with the stranger. "And _you_ should get checked out by a psychiatrist. What the hell is with you being rude?"

Cerulean eyes glared at him. "Don't be a hypocrite. You're the one who I should be calling rude. Now, apologize." That last statement sounded more like a command than anything else.

Yami widened then narrowed his eyes, taken aback by the nerve of this person to go boss him around just like that. Who did this man think he is? "Apologize? Why should I?"

"I don't know, maybe because you sent me to the ground out of your recklessness without proper reason." He answered sarcastically.

"Well, you also owe me an apology for insulting me as being deaf and blind."

"I don't consider pointing out what is factual as insult."

"Who the fuck are you?"

The brunette smirked, making him even more incensed. "A crude person like you doesn't deserve to know who I am. Just apologize so I can let you leave already."

Yami was shocked. He never thought he'd meet such a horrible, offensive person in his life. Insulting and ordering him was more than enough reason to punch the man in the face, but calling him crude and he'd be glad to knee the bastard at the crotch. And he was just a stranger he bumped into in the streets, for crying out loud! Man, the gods really must be against him today.

"In your dreams." He glared. Heaving his bag higher on his shoulder, he sighed. "I've had enough of this crap. I'm leaving."

He deliberately knocked his shoulder roughly against the other's arm – the brunette was much taller than him so he couldn't quite reach his shoulder – as he continued on his way to the shop. He sighed inwardly, now he was officially dead to his boss, and all because of that ass.

He was about to reach out to the door handle when a firm hand grabbed his upper arm and spun him around on the spot. Speak of the devil, it was the ass again.

"Didn't I make it clear to you earlier that I won't apologize until you do?" Yami said heatedly.

"Where is it?"

"Where what is?" Yami asked, genuinely confused.

But the brunette just gripped harder, producing a small hiss of pain from the other. "Don't you dare play dumb with me. You took my phone and I know it. Give it back!"

Yami struggled against the taller man, but to no avail. "Let go of me, will you?"

"Return the phone first."

"I don't have it, okay? Now will you just let go?!"

He rolled his eyes in response. "Why are you making it so damn hard on yourself? Give me back my phone and you won't need to apologize for earlier anymore."

"Didn't you hear me? I said I don't have your stupid phone, damn it!"

"Give back the fucking phone!" the brunette raised his voice. They were starting to draw the attention of the others, but they didn't seem to care.

"Now who's crude?!" Yami shouted.

"Don't change the subject!"

"Stop whining about your phone, then!"

"I'm not whining!"

"Liar!"

"Hypocrite!"

The pair stopped shouting, both breathing heavily with frustration because of the other, so they opted to silently glare at each other instead. The brunette broke the silence first, though his glare didn't waver the slightest bit.

"Give me your bag."

Yami was caught off guard. "Why should I?"

"Just do as I say." He ordered coldly.

"Let go of me, then."

Ice cold eyes narrowed. He released the other's arm, which Yami then instinctively rubbed. "There. Now hand over your bag."

"Why should I?" he repeated.

"Because you won't give me my phone willingly, so I'm taking it myself."

Yami raised an eyebrow. "You sure are confident that that thing is in here. Look for it then." He said, throwing the bag at the brunette.

The other caught it easily. Yami crossed his arms impatiently as he watched him rummage through his possessions. "You won't find anything there."

But the brunette only smirked as he smugly held up – who would've thought – what appeared to be his phone. All Yami could do was gape openly in disbelief, the question of 'how the heck?' in his mind.

"How the heck did you get that into my bag?" Yami voiced out, dumbfounded.

"I should be asking you the same thing." The other said, pocketing the device. "Of course, I do believe pickpockets such as you don't divulge their secrets to their victims."

"Are you calling me a thief?" Yami asked indignantly.

"About time you realized that."

"Why you – " he started, but he wasn't able to finish his sentence as the brunette turned his back at him and started to walk away. "Hey! Where are you going? I'm not through with you yet!"

The brunette paused in mid-step and turned his head, the smirk of his back in place. "You should be grateful. I had half a mind to call for the police in order to arrest you immediately. " With that, he left him standing there alone.

By now Yami was shaking in anger. That bastard! That rude, annoying, smirking bastard! How he wished he could give him a piece of his mind. On second thought, his fist might be more appropriate.

Glaring at what he could see of the retreating back, he yelled for all the world to hear, "You are such an ASS!"

_That would do for now_. Embarrassing the ass – he decided then and there to baptize him with that name since he couldn't think of anything more fitting (besides, he'd been using it the whole time, so why not make it official?) – in front of all those people would bee enough to pacify his pride in the meantime.

Smirking at his accomplishment, he entered the shop and looked for his boss, whom he hoped was in a good mood. He didn't have to look far, though, as his boss was the one who found him.

"Mutou! Do you realize what time it is?!" his boss shouted the minute he saw him. She was a large woman with rollers in her hair. Anyone would think that she was just at home and not running a business, although no one had the courage to say it out loud, the woman was just plain scary.

Why did Yami take this job then? People do strange things for money.

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Now for replies to unsigned reviews: 

**kiara** and **yvette**: I hope you guys like this chapter despite the long wait.

**YamiNoHikari**: I apologize. I wasn't able to add who Mokuba was referring to last chapter here. Everyone will just have to wait for the next chapter to know who he or she is.

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Fury : Sorry for the weird ending, my brain was already bone-dry by the time I finished this. Also, I didn't want to elaborate much on Yami's workplace since I don't have an idea yet as to where he could be working, that's why I kept on calling it the 'shop'. 

If anyone has any good suggestion to where you want to see Yami working, tell me. It's going to be somewhat the focus in the next chapter and also the cause of another 'moment' between the two. The more suggestions I get, the faster I'll be able write the next chapter.

Please review!


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